Situated on a volcanic Peninsula this remote cottage is set into a rock escarpment in a tiny boulder strewn South Pacific cove. It is a shelter designed as a honeymoon retreat for paying guests and consists of a lobby, living/sleeping and a bathroom. The retreat is built using all local materials and is constructed largely from rock quarried near its site with in-situ poured concrete floors and an earth turfed roof.

The structure is integrated into the escarpment above to protect its occupants from falling debris. The cottage is self-sustainable in respect to on-site water harvesting and wastewater treatment and energy. The project incorporated an extensive reforestation and re-vegetation sub project. The cottage was originally designed to align with a double rock arch nearby called “the comb”. Unfortunately during construction the comb was collapsed into simple rock spires caused by the February 2011 earthquake. An interlocking plan geometry responds to both near cover views and far views to give a complex richness to a tiny structure. It is lined with horizontal macrocarpa wood. This forms integrated joinery, wall and ceiling panels behind double glazed low e-glass in storm and shatter proof steel mullions which utilize earthquake resistant sliding heads.